Tire inflater



D. H. SPICER TIRE INFLATER Filed pril 4; 1929; 4 shets-sheet 1 Oct. 28, 1930. v D. H. sPlcER 1,779,565

TIREl INFLATER Filed April 4. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 :LEE

.Vj .3/ 30 L 4 7 45 n 3P 47 u l nl n mh Il V ct. 28, 1930. D, H. SPlCER 1,779,565

TIRE INFLATER Filed April 4, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z Z/ Z7 ocLzs, 1930. f D. HfSPICER 1,779,565

TIRE INFLATER Fil-ed April 4, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Tic- 1. E-

Patented Oct. 28, '1930 Unire-D STATES- PAr121WOFFICE' DELPHIN H. SPIGEB, F EAKEWOOIL 4OIlIO onginaiappncatipn mea June 27, 1927, serial No. 201,927. Divided and this .fippiifatienY mednpru 4;

1929.' Serial No. 352,402.

This invention relates to tire inflaters of the type disclosed; in my co-pending United States application Serial No. 201,927 filed June- 27, 1927,r now Patentv #1,708,637, of

wellicht-his application isa division.,

. Itis of course common knowledge that even in thebest tires on standing or in use there isa a slow butconstant diminishing of the air contained therein, and it is necessary to rein- 113 flateatheftire periodically if the .pressure is to bemaintained at the desired height.

The object of my inventionis to provide a tire inilater which may be conveniently attached tothe valve stems of the tires when inuse toxsupply airto the tires in the amount required to maintain them at the required pressure. y

A` further object is to provide a pumping mechanism Which is operated by the vibraao tion and variation in speed of the wheel on which the tire is mounted.

With theseand such other objects in view as will appear from the description, the invention, resides in all the novel features of construction and combination of parts disclosed in the following description and` drawings and particularly pointed out in the appendedV claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, a fragment of the felly, rim and tire being seen, and the parts beingshown on aimagnified scale; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionxon the planes indicated by the lineV 2-2 of' Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by,` the arrows;,Fig. 3 is a similar section taken onthe plane of line 3-3 of Figll and looking in the direction indicated y the arrow g. Fig. 4 is adetail section showing the preliminary travel of thecylinder from the position shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing thek final movement of the weight and cylinder; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective' of the actuating gears intermediate theweight and cylinder; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the actuating Vgears showing the relationof the `trunnion members; and, 8 is detail section of the diaphragm zvalve.

Referringto ythel iguresbyaiumerals, .1 indicatesthe ordinary or conventionalpneu-V matic tire, or shoe,.in which is arranged the usual inner ltube 2 havinggthe valveV stem spreaderv 3,V and. `valve stem: 4. The. tireis.l

mounted on,l the usual, demountable rim- 5, which in turn is mounted on the fixed rim'. or felly band Gycarried by the felly- 7. The fixed rim 62and fellyA 7 are apeitured atY 8 for thev passage'of valve stem 4. The valve stem 4 also is provided Withthe Well knowngiconventional check; valve 9 which, with its control spring..` 10, stem 11 and retainingfrnut 12, is commonly referred to as a valve .insides. The parts/thus. far mentionedY are all' well known and` extensively in use. A sealing cap is commonly mounted onV the extremity of the `stem 4 to supplement resistance to the escape of air under pressure, and a dustguard orr cover cap is-threadedfover the Whole stemfstructurefin.common use, but when the present invention is utilized, the dustcap and sealing cap are omitted.

A tubular stationary piston 13`^is threaded to and extends beyond the stem 4 and is provided.with a `packing gland 15 boredaXial-ly at-141and arrangedto communicate with the portl ofV stein 4. The packinglgland 15 is appropriately flanged and surrounded byv a gasketor like packing 16 to seal the communication ofthe valve stem'port with-.the piston Beyondthe gland 15, the: piston 13 is provided with a reduced boreor axially;I extending recess 17 in which is arranged the vflanged head ;18 and a partiofthebody 19j-of a check valve'. Thebody 19` is cylindrical andsurroundedby acoiledspring 2.0 tending to force the check valve. radially outward. The inner end of the body 19.w is surrounded by anfannulus 21', preferably swaged or other.- wiseanchored: tothe body 19 ofthecheck valveytov provide an 'inner head.. Since the tire'l is outward of the wheel construction and the-other parts extend inward` toward theiaXis 'of rotation, parts will be referred to as Vinward or outward, .according to their.- rela-V tiveradiallocatiomwith respect to the wheel onwhich theyffareA mounted. A flexible elastic diaphragm.v 22, preferably india rubber', snuglyv surrounds thev body 19 ofthe check valve: in contact: with theouterr face ofthe head 21 in position for being stressed by the spring 20 so as to hold the portion of the diaphragm surrounding the s tem or body 19 against an annular seat 23 in the form of a ridge extending inward from the inner extremity of the piston 13 about the bore of said piston through which the body 19 of the check valve extends.

A cylinder 24 slidablyisurrounds the pis-V ton 13 and is adapted to reciprocate relative thereto to provide a guide therefor, the cylinder 24 snugly enclosing the cylindrical part of the piston 13 and extending beyond the same. The cylinder 24 is of uniform diameter, equal substantially to the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the piston 13 for the greater part of its length, and terminates at its inner extremity in an annular oH-set or enlarged portionl 25 into which is seated by threading or other appropriate anchorage means, a nut or cap26 forming a cylinder head. The enlarged portion 25 produces the outstanding annular shoulder 27 which is lined by a packing gasket 28, and between the gasket 28 and the inner face of nut 26 extends the margins of the diaphragm 22, so as to be clamped in place when the head 26 is seated in operative position. The inner terminus of piston 13 is preferably convex as seen at 13. The face of the head 26 on the side toward the piston 13 is provided with a concavity 26 corresponding in dimensions and contour approximately to those of the convexity 13 so that when the inner terminus of one member engages the outer terminus of the other they approximately fit, the diaphragm 22 being, of course, interposed between and conforming to the contour of the parts engaged incident to its flexibility. A pocket 26" is formed in the head 26 opening into the concavity 26 to' accommodate the iange 21 and corresponding part of the body of the check valve 19 when the piston and cylinder head are in position of perfect contact, or as nearly perfect as is attainable. Thus, a cavity or chamber is provided between the inner face of the diaphragm 22 and the surface of the head 26 whenever the piston and cylinder are moved relatively apart and whenever the cylinder and piston are brought together, air within said cavity or chamber is compressed and when sufficiently compressed is forced along the port 19 formed in the check valve 19, along the port 14 and outward past the valve 9 and into the inner tube 2. Since air is admitted between the diaphragm 22 and the check valve seat 23 into space about the check valve 19 and thence through port 19 into said space or chamber when check valve 19 is released from a firm seating upon bead 23, it will be seen that by relative` reciprocation of piston 13 and cylinder 24, successive charges of compressed air may be injected into the inner tube 2 until such relative movement is stopped.

It will also be apparent that when the pressure within the tire reaches the point of equilibrium relative to attainable pressure in the chamber between diaphragm 22 and head 26, further injection of air will not occur.

It will further be noted that when the diaphragm is expanded as in Fig. 5, there is a trapped body of air between it and the cylinder head and in the opposite movement of the diaphragm this air is expanded, with a consequent reduction of its pressure which is restored to atmospheric pressure by the admission of air through the diaphragm valve. When the pressure of the expanded air between the diaphragm and head equals that of the atmosphere further feed to the tire is prevented even though the pump continues operation.

As a means to effect requisite relative reciprocation ofthe parts as above indicated, a sliding weight 29 surrounds thecylinder 24 and is free to reciprocate relative thereto, its movements bein radial with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheel structure of which valve stem 4 is a part. The weight 29 is provided with two recesses 36 at diametrically opposite points in which fit the coiled springs 31 which extend from the weight 29 outward and might be permitted to engage the felly 7, but for effectiveness and completeness of organized structure, a retaining plate is preferably provided for being engaged by the springs 31 which retaining plate consists of an annulus 32 having radially extending inner and outer fianges and 34. rfixe iiange 33 may be shrunk on the outer extremity of the skirt of piston 13 or otherwise anchored thereto as by a driven iit. The weight- 29 is provided'with a pair of diametrically oppositely arranged longitudinal slots each being formed with a rack 36 facing toward the cylinder 24. rllhe cylinder 24 is provided with a pair of racks 37 for each rack 36, each rack 37 facing in the opposite direction or toward the respective recess 35, the teeth of each rack 37 being of reduced dimensions relative to the teeth 'lhe cylinder 24 is provided with a longitudinal slot 38 between each pair of racks 37 for permitting the passage of the teeth of the spur gear, hereinafter mentioned. Piston 13, approximately midway of the length of its skirt is provided with a toothed rack 39 corresponding in dimension `of teeth to the dimensions of the teeth of racks 36, there being one rack 39 for each rack 36 located outward of the racks 37.

Arranged within each recess 35 is a preferably integral differential gear including a main mutilated pinion 4() disposed to h ave its teeth meshing with the rack 36 and its flat or mutilated face slidingly engaging the adjacent smooth surface of piston At each side of each pinion 46 and preferably formed integral therewith and completing the diliierential gear are pinions 41 of reduced diameter relative to pinion 40, dimensioned tot engagel the teeth of the respective racks 37, 3:7..

In operation, the parts being mounted Vas described, shocks and jars will effect reciprocation of the cylinder 24V relative to piston or shocks and jars plus centrifugal force will accomplishA such action, orvar-iation-s in cen. tri fugal force incident to changes in the speed of rotation of the tire l will accomplish. such action. Thus, if the springs` 31are tensioned to resist radial outward movement of weight 29V under the centrifugal force incident toet-'hat speed' of rotation attained say when the vehicle to which the wheel iis applied has acquired a speed of fifteen miles an hour, the weight 29 will remain substantially stat-ionary, except for movements incident to shocks and jars, until the speed of vehicle passes the speed limit mentioned. The weight 29 will then begin to travel outwardly under centrifugal force, the speed and extent of travel be ing exactly proportional to the rate of acceleration and speed of rotation attained by the wheel to which tire 1 is applied. If the requisite speed is attained, the weight 29 will make a full stroke. In making this stroke, the first part of the movement occurs while the pinion or spur 40 is in mesh with the rack 36 and the pinions 41 are in mesh with the racks 37. Hence, during the rst part ofthe outward stroke of weight 29, cylinder 24 moves outward with the weight so that the movement of the, diaphragm 22, under the lower resistances of less compressed air1 will occur readily and. quickly but when the gears 40 reach the place of the first notch of the racks 39, the outermost tooth contacting with piston 13 will enter such recess and the said gear will walk along the respective racks 39. This walking movement causes such angular advance or partial rotation of the gears 41'as to compensate in'part for the outward travel of the diiferential gears, so, that the cylinder 24can not move outwardly at the same rate as the weight 29 but only at a rate incident to the ratio of the gears. The leverage afforded the weight 29 in distributing its stress toL the cylinder-24 may thus. berendered amply high to insure a stroke of the piston against any required compression of the air in the chamber bounded b-y the diaphragm 22 and the outer face of nut 26.

Under the spring. tension proposed the weight is supported at substantially normal position and no pumping occurs? until the speed reaches approximately fifteen milesper hour, except the movement of the weight due to vibration or road jars causing a shifting.

action thereof. 1When the speed is increased above fifteen miles per hour the weight initiates a radial centrifugal movement and owing to the relation of its master gear with the wall of the piston slides thereon and carries the cylinder at a speed uniform. with the weight travel.. lDuring this-"sliding movement of the weight upon thegtixed piston the teeth of4 its. master gear reaches the rank p01.- tion upon` the: piston.V and by engagement therewith causes a revolutionogf the. gear which through the ditterential gearing trans: mits a retarded movement to the cylinderwhich, dueto the increased leverage, imparts additional power for the final com-.pressivey action. y

It has been found mpracticable to prowide the piston and cylinder with the usual pack ing rings, as under slow pumping action the escape of air past such rings prevents, a maintenance of; the desired pressure. To avoid such leakage IAV use the sealed `diaphragm which provides an. expansible compression chamber at the, cylinder head to` retain the,A deisred pressure Without leakage. This pressure at the seat 23.v forms a secondary seal for the usual valve in the stem.

To prevent the gears 40 `from meshing too tightly with the teeth of the rack 36, trunnions 45. are provided. These trunnions, of the shape shown in Fig. 5 are located on each side of the gears 41;. the trunnions is a section of' a cylinder, as at 46, and is adapted to roll on the plane` sur-V faces 47 in the recesses 35. This. trunnion structure reduces the friction used in operating the gears to` a very large extent affording a highly et-Hcient operation thereof* vIn. operation, air is admitted preferably through filter 42 constructed in the .form of an annulus disposed between theV fixed rim 6. and the demountable rim. 7', and surrounds One surface of i the valve 4 and proportioned to transversely till the opening 8. Airis drawn in between the lined and demountable rims and is thus keptfree from dust other foreign articles .and passes up along the flattened sides 44 of the valve stem 4 between the stem and outer portion of theskirt of-piston 13. Lateral ports 43 are provided through said skirt of piston 13 tol allow the air to enter the space between weight 29.. and. the sleeve of the` cyl-i inder` from which it moves inward through the slots 38 and along the cylindrical wall-,sof the. piston 13 to. a point between the4 concave terminus of piston- 13. and the outer face of diaphragm 22. Airis drawn to this position incident to the return movement of the cylinder 24 and the weight 29, and due to the fact that air is by such movement `also drawn past the check valve seat 23 and into the compression chamber `as previously described. To prevent access of foreign matter to the mechanism and otherwise protect it, aV housing or shell v50 encloses the same, and is fixed to the annular flange 34 as by aV driven fit or rivets or otherwise. Replacingthe or-v dinary clamping nut used with the valve stem is a cup member 51 int-o which the lower end ofthe shell 50 fits, the cup being provided with a threaded neck portion 52 which engages the threads on the valsve stem f 4. The outer face of the bottom of the cup member 51 is provided with an annular recess in which is received a cushion gasket 58 which engages the felly 7 when the cup is tightened on the valve stem 4 to hold the stein securely in the opening 8 in the felly. The housing 50 with the annulus 32 and the mechanism as a unit may be removed from the valve stem without removing the cup member 5l, the cup member operating merely as a clamping nut for the valve stem and a housing for the outer end of the tire infiater.

The ratio of the gearing illustrated in the drawing is such that after the gears Zl0 begin to walk in the racks 39, the advance or compressing movement of the cylinder 24 is substantially one-sixth that of the movement of the weight 29, but of course, the gear ratios may be varied to any extent found desirable in any particular instance, and the leverage increased or decreased as found preferable. Also other changes may be made in the proportions, construction and operation of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and well within the protective force and intent of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A tire inflater adapted to be connected to the valve stem of a pneumatic.` tire and to revolve therewith when the tire is in use on a wheel including a cylinder member, a piston member in said cylinder and reciprocable relative thereto, means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other including a. weight adapted to be moved in one direction by centrifugal force, a rack secured to said weight, a second rack secured to one of said members, a set of differential gears engaging said racks whereby the motion of said weight is transmitted to said member with an increase in force.

2. A tire inflater adapted'to be connected to the valve stem of a pneumatic tire and to revolve therewith when the tire is in use on a wheel including a cylinder member, a piston member in said cylinder and reciprocable relative thereto, means for reciprocating` one of said members relative to the other including a weight adapted to be moved in one direction by centrifugal force, a rack secured to said weight, a second rack secured in fixed relation to one of said inem.- bers in opposed relation to the first rack, a third rack secured to the other of said niembers, a set of differential gears non-rotatably secured to each other, one of said gears engaging the first and second racks, and a second gear of less diameter engaging the third rack whereby as the larger gear moves between the first and second racks, the second gear moves along the third at a different speed and the motion of the weight is transmitted t0 the second member with an increase in force.

3. A tire inflater adapted to be connected to the valve stem of a pneumatic tire and to revolve therewith when the tire is in use on a Wheel including a cylinder member, a piston member in said cylinder and reciprocable relative thereto, means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other including a weight adapted to be moved in one direction by centrifugal force, a rack on said weight, a second rack secured in fixed relation relative to one of said members in opposed relation to said firstrack when the weight moves past a predetermined point, a mutilated gear operating in sa id racks, a bearing extending from one of said racks on which the mutilated teeth on said gear may slide when the gear passes the end of said rack, and means on said gear operatively engaging the second member to cause it to move relative the first member at any peint along the path of motion imparted to said gear by said weight, the rate of relative motion between said members being decreased when said gear rotates between said racks with a proportional increase in the force with which said member is moved.

4. A tire infiater adapted to be connected to the valve stem of a pneumatic tire and to revolve therewith when the tire is in use on a wheel including a cylinder member, a piston member in said cylinder and reciprocable relative thereto, means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other including a weight adapted to be moved in one direction by centrifugal force, a rack on said weight, a second rack secured in fixed relation relative to one of said members in opposed relation to said first rack when the weight moves past a predetermined point, a mutilated gear operating in said racks, a bearing extending from one of said racks on which the mutilated teeth on said gear may slide when the gear passes the end of said rack, a third rack on the second member, a gear non-rotatably secured to the first gear and of lesser diameter engaging the third rack, whereby the second member is moved relative the first member as the first gear travels along the bearing portion or rotates between the first and second racks, the rate of relative motion between said members being decreased when said gear rotates between said racks with a proportional increase in the force with which said member is moved.

5. A tire infiater adapted to be connected to the valve stem of a pneumatic tire and to revolve therewith when the tire is in use on a wheel including a cylinder member, a piston member in said cylinder and reciprocable relative thereto, means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other including a weight adapted to be moved in one direction by centrifugal force, a rack on said weight, a second rack secured in fixed relation relative to one of said members in opposed relation to said first rack when the weight moves past a predetermined point, a mutilated gear operating in said racks, a bearing extending from one of said racks on which the mutilated teeth on said gear may slide when the gear passes the end of said rack, a third rack on the second member, a gear nonrotatably secured to the first gear and of lesser diameter engaging the third rack, whereby the second member is moved relative the first member as the first gear'travels along the bearing portion or rotates between the iirst and second racks, the rate of relative motion between said members being decreased when said gear rotates between said racks with a proportional increase in the force with which said member is moved, and trunnions on said gears for engaging the weight member to prevent Vthe gear from meshing too tightly with the rack carried thereby.

6. In an inflating device, means for at-l taching said device to a vehicle wheel having a tube and valve stem as a unit to be normally carried thereby, a pump forming a part of said unit and normally connected with said valve stem to deliver thereinto, an inertia operated weight also forming a part of said unit, and means connecting said weight and one portion of said'pump in such a manner that said pump portion moves at the same speed as said weight through the first part L of its pumping stroke and at a slower speed than said weight through a succeeding portion thereof.

7. In an iniiating device, means for attaching said device to a vehicle wheel having a tube and valve stem as a unit to be normally carried thereby, a pump forming a part of said unit and normally connected with said valve stem to deliver thereinto, an inertia operated weight also forming a part of-said unit, and means connecting said weight and one portion of said pump in such avmanner that said pump portion decreases in speed with respect to said weight during the pumping stroke thereof.

8. In an inating device, means for attach-VV ing said device to a vehicle wheel having a tube and valve stem as a unit to be normally carried thereby, a pump forming a part of said unit and normally connected with said valve stem to deliver thereinto, an inertia operated weight also forming a part of said unit, and means connecting said weight and one portion of said pump in such a manner that said pump portion moves at a slower speed than said weight during a portion of the pumping stroke thereof.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature.

DELPI-IIN I-I. SPICER. 

